In the pantheon of all-rounders, Jacques Kallis stands above just about all. Forty-four Test hundreds and 280 wickets makes him, in terms of the record books, untouchable. A half-century batting down the order, at the uncustomary position of No.9, may ultimately end up deep in the fine print of his celebrated career, but it should not be overlooked.

Kallis's usual top-order entry to the middle was delayed substantially by a hamstring injury acquired during a killer spell with the ball on Thursday. Having not played any part in the second Test since, there was serious doubt in Adelaide if he would come out to bat at all.

Indeed, had the South Africa captain Graeme Smith been able to carry on from his overnight century, and coax a colleague or two to go with him throughout Saturday's third day's play, the 37-year-old may not have strapped on the pads at all. As it was, that was anything but the case. The risk in stretching out for what was a gutsy and much-needed 58, though, was that Kallis may well have aggravated that right hamstring further, putting in doubt his place in the Proteas' side for the third and final Test, which follows hot on the heels of the second in Perth this week.

South Africa can escape their brief visit to Australia with their world No.1 ranking in place if they can draw the series and with defeat beckoning in Adelaide, they could sure use their most valuable asset, Kallis, on deck in the west. Even a physically depleted version of the all-round guru proved irreplaceable on Saturday, compiling a fifty through grimaces that, placed alongside Faf du Plessis' stubborn 78 on debut, eased what would have otherwise been a very painful first-innings deficit. South Africa were finished off for 388 by mid-afternoon, 162 runs short of Australia's total, but it could have been much worse after Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon unleashed with the old ball on Saturday morning.

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The Proteas lost five wickets for the addition of only 56 runs before lunch, with Lyon striking first when his tossed-up off break tempted Jacques Rudolph into an ill-timed drive to short cover, where Rob Quiney completed a sharp catch. Smith followed soon after for 122, having added only 11 to his overnight score before he was again charged with edging to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.

Unlike on Friday, when he was spared by third umpire Asad Rauf, Smith was forced to amble off, after a short glare at umpire Billy Bowden. Siddle was the bowler, hitting a footmark and enticing what was determined as a faint edge during a bright spell that then claimed AB de Villiers as a victim, too. The wicketkeeper-batsman continues to struggle for runs after carrying the gloves, reaching only one before Siddle trapped him leg-before. Ben Hilfenhaus, with 3-49, would end up with the standout figures among the Australian bowlers, called upon as a whole to step up due to the loss via injury of James Pattinson.

The Victorian hobbled off the ground after picking up a suspected side strain while bowling the first ball of his second over of the day, and with scan results on Saturday not released, he is almost certain to play no further part in the match. Hilfenhaus, improving from a flat performance in Brisbane, took care of Dale Steyn and Rory Kleinveldt cheaply, and would put a full stop on du Plessis' knock and the Proteas' innings. But it was Michael Clarke, Australia's perennial double centurion, who was the man to eventually bring down the resolute Kallis. Clarke, again fiddling creatively with his bowling changes, brought himself on and it did the trick, clipping Kallis's thumb down the leg side and careering into Wade's gloves as he tried to sweep.

Australia were 2-79 late in the afternoon in their second innings, with Ricky Ponting yet to score and Ed Cowan on 28 - for an overall lead of 241. Kleinveldt took both wickets.

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